SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 32

(By Senators Hardesty, Lindsay, Beach, Plymale, Stollings, Baldwin, and Jeffries)

[Introduced February 13, 2019]

Requesting the Division of Highways to name bridge number 23-10-12.56, NB and SB (23A377, 23A378), locally known as Lyburn Bridge, carrying WV 10 over Land Relief in Logan County, the “U. S. Army SSG Henry Kilgore Bridge”.

Whereas, SSG Henry Kilgore was born on December 22, 1922, in Draffin, Kentucky, one of 10 children in his family; and

Whereas, Like many in the Appalachian region at the time, SSG Henry Kilgore’s family struggled to make ends meet and, at age 14, he left school to work in the coal mines to support his family; and

Whereas, Due to a lack of modern equipment, SSG Henry Kilgore mined coal with a pick and shovel and hauled it out with a mule and a cart; and

Whereas, At the age of 20, Sergeant Kilgore was drafted into the U. S. Army to serve his country during World War II. He served in the 33rd Sig Light Construction where he ultimately reached the rank of Staff Sergeant; and

Whereas, SSG Henry Kilgore served in Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe. He was also present at the Battle of the Bulge and arrived on the beaches of Iwo Jima as American soldiers famously raised an American flag; and

Whereas, SSG Henry Kilgore was honorably discharged from the U. S. Army on December 19, 1945; and

Whereas, SSG Henry Kilgore came home to go back into the coal mines to continue to work for the rest of his working life; and

Whereas, SSG Henry Kilgore married his soul mate, Leona Bartley Kilgore, on February 6, 1946. They were blessed to raise six daughters; and

Whereas, SSG Henry Kilgore selflessly worked in the mines to support his family, even though working conditions were frequently unsafe. He was injured numerous times while on the job, including one occasion where his head was pinned in a roof fall. He was hospitalized for an extended period of time after the accident, suffering broken bones in his face and severe injuries to his eye; and

Whereas, Sergeant Kilgore also acted many times, both during his service in the war and his job as a miner, without concern for his own safety; and

Whereas, It is fitting that an enduring memorial be established to commemorate SSG Henry Kilgore; therefore, be it

Resolved by the West Virginia Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name bridge number 23-10-12.56, NB and SB (23A377, 23A378), locally known as Lyburn Bridge, carrying WV 10 over Land Relief in Logan County, the “U. S. Army SSG Henry Kilgore Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to have made and be placed signs identifying the bridge as the “U. S. Army SSG Henry Kilgore Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Division of Highways.